Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

Search This Blog

MindBullet: Apple files for Bankruptcy (21 December 2014)

MindBullets are a fantastic series of content from the FutureWorld group, a collection of "future practitioners and strategists" that I'm becoming more and more involved with. Essentially, MindBullets are news articles written from the future, showing us examples of just how quickly our world is changing, and where it might take us. Explore further MindBullets here or read more about the FutureWorld Group.

This week, we see Apple file for bankruptcy in 2014!

Now, it'd be very easy to dismiss this scenario out of hand. Apple is the biggest technology company on the planet at the moment, and more importantly, has built an ecosystem (apps, iTunes and devices that require both) that makes it hard to leave. Anyway, with an ecosystem and product set as smooth and user friendly as Apple's - who would want to leave?

Let's not forget what the iPod did to the MP3 industry and the Walkman. Destroyed it, disrupted it and owned it in less than 2 years. With a technology landscape that is changing as quickly as ours is - who's to say that next magic device and magic leap comes from someone other than Apple?

Android is a compelling proposition - because it's free. A high quality, free operating system opens up margin at various places in the supply chain.

As with any kind of scenario planning, it's not about "WILL this happen" - but rather, what will you do if it does?